The relationship between the wild west and the alpha male cowboy is very complex and interesting. Thompkins states in her research that the land, “acts as god,” and give the cowboy (John Wayne) both trouble and reward. He receives trouble in the snowstorms, dry desert, and unforgivable rain, and reward in the rest, water, and destination. The land almost seems to be an all-knowing all-powerful being. It also represents power, which is the very desire of the alpha male cowboy. It controls every twist and turn in the hero’s search for the Indian Chief Scar. Power is also the essence of the alpha male cowboy. It seeks dominance in everything which proves to be ironic because it is the land that controls all.
The wild terrain also describes the character himself. The alpha male and the land are both wild and rugged. They both represent suffering, and how the alpha male’s job is to endure this suffering without complaint. The land is very unforgiving as well as the alpha male. This can be seen through Ethan, who instantly turns of the niece he is searching for after she assimilates to the Comanche lifestyle. The terrain characterizes the alpha male as an enduring character. One without complaint in the hard times he is dealt by the land.
Overall the land parallels the alpha male cowboy. In The Searchers Ethan is confronted with an internal and physical struggle. The struggles he has are represented in the trials of the land, and his long travels. The land offers suffering and reward for the hero, he tries to control it and conquer it, but it is almost as if he needs it. The cowboy needs struggle, he needs a purpose, and Ethan exemplifies this with his search for Debbie.
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